Heat Capacity v Specific heat capacity?

In summary, heat capacity and specific heat capacity are both measures of the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of a material. However, specific heat capacity is independent of the amount of material, while heat capacity takes into account an arbitrary amount of material. Additionally, there is also a molar heat capacity, denoted by Cmol, which is the amount needed for 1 mole of the material and is often represented by an uppercase C.
  • #1
nafo man
13
0

Homework Statement


what is the different in term of definition between Heat capacity and Specific heat capacity ?


Homework Equations




Q=mΔTC →C=Q/mΔT

The Attempt at a Solution


Specific heat capacity is the amount needed per unit mass of material so is a number independent of the amount of material but Heat capacity deals with an arbitrary amount of material
is this the only different?
 
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  • #2
Hi nafo man! :smile:

You have it right!

Beyond that you have the molar heat capacity Cmol (amount needed for 1 mol of the material).
Usually the specific heat capacity is denoted with a lowercase c as opposed to the regular heat capacity and the molar heat capacity that are both denoted with an uppercase C.

So: Q = C ΔT = m c ΔT = n Cmol ΔT.
 
Last edited:

What is heat capacity and specific heat capacity?

Heat capacity is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance by 1 degree Celsius. Specific heat capacity, also known as specific heat, is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1 degree Celsius.

How are heat capacity and specific heat capacity related?

Heat capacity and specific heat capacity are related because they both measure the amount of heat needed to change the temperature of a substance. However, specific heat capacity takes into account the mass of the substance, while heat capacity does not.

What are the units of measurement for heat capacity and specific heat capacity?

The units for heat capacity are joules per degree Celsius (J/°C) or calories per degree Celsius (cal/°C). The units for specific heat capacity are joules per gram per degree Celsius (J/g/°C) or calories per gram per degree Celsius (cal/g/°C).

Why is specific heat capacity important in chemistry?

Specific heat capacity is important in chemistry because it helps determine how much heat energy is needed to change the temperature of a substance. This can be useful in various chemical reactions and processes.

How is specific heat capacity measured?

Specific heat capacity can be measured using a calorimeter, which measures the change in temperature of a substance when a known amount of heat is added to it. The specific heat capacity can be calculated using the formula Q = m x c x ΔT, where Q is the heat energy, m is the mass of the substance, c is the specific heat capacity, and ΔT is the change in temperature.

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